Everything you need to know for the US Open Tennis 2026 tournament.
The final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year starts Sunday, August 30th in New York, with the 2026 edition of the US Open ready to deliver two weeks of world-class hard-court tennis. This year’s tournament arrives with one of the most dramatic storylines in recent memory: defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is back after a four-month layoff, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is out entirely. Add in a record-breaking $108 million prize pool, a reshaped seeding order, and the Djokovic watch for Grand Slam number 25, and there’s plenty to follow even before the first ball is struck at Flushing Meadows.
For those ready to follow the final Grand Slam of the year, here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 US Open.
US Open Tennis 2026 Tournament Information and Fun Facts
Where to Watch the US Open 2026
In the United States, the tournament will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2 for daily match coverage, with ABC airing weekend marquee matches, including the men’s singles final. ESPN’s coverage spans more than 1,000 hours across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Deportes, and the ESPN app for streaming.
US Open Tennis 2026 Tournament Dates
Main draw matches at the US Open 2026 start on Sunday, August 30th and run through Sunday, September 13th.
- Women’s Singles final: Saturday, September 12th
- Men’s Singles final: Sunday, September 13th
The Biggest Story: Alcaraz’s Return and Sinner’s Withdrawal
The men’s draw looks nothing like it did a month ago. On August 20th, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz announced he would return to New York after nearly four months on the sidelines with a right wrist injury suffered at the Barcelona Open in April. The layoff cost him the French Open, Wimbledon, and the North American hard-court swing through Toronto and Cincinnati, but it didn’t cost him his ranking. Alcaraz arrives in New York still the No. 2 seed, still the defending champion, and still one of the tournament favorites, even with zero competitive matches under his belt since April.
A day later, the draw shifted again. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the US Open on August 21st, citing a right knee injury that had sidelined him since his Wimbledon title defense in July. It’s the first Grand Slam Sinner has missed since making his major debut at the 2019 US Open, and only the second time a reigning ATP No. 1 has skipped the tournament since the rankings began in 1973 (Pete Sampras was the first, in 1999).
The result: Alexander Zverev, fresh off his French Open title, steps in as the No. 1 seed. Alcaraz sits at No. 2 on the opposite side of the draw, meaning the two can only meet in the final. Novak Djokovic, chasing a record 25th major title, moves up to the No. 4 seed with a clearer path to the semifinals. For the first time in three straight Grand Slams, tennis will go a major without seeing its two dominant forces, Alcaraz and Sinner, meet on court. It sets up one of the most wide-open US Opens in years.
US Open Tennis 2026 Top Seeds
Men’s Singles
| Seed | Player | Country |
| 1 | Alexander Zverev | Germany |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain |
| 3 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | Canada |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia |
| 5 | Flavio Cobolli | Italy |
Women’s Singles
| Seed | Player | Country |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | United States |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | United States |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva |
US Open 2025 Champions
Men’s Singles: Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) defeated Jannik Sinner (ITA)
Women’s Singles: Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova (USA)
US Open Tennis 2026 Prize Money
Total prize money for the US Open 2026 tournament reaches a record $108 million, a 20% increase from 2025.
- Men’s and Women’s Singles Champions: $5.5M, most in tennis history
- Runner-up: $2.8M
- First Round Main Draw exits: $140,000
US Open Tennis 2026 Courts and Venue
The three main arenas are:
- Arthur Ashe Stadium: More than 23,000 seats, the largest dedicated tennis stadium in the world. Note: Ashe is in the middle of an $800 million renovation that’s adding courtside seats while removing seats from the upper levels, so the USTA hasn’t published an exact 2026 total. The project wraps in 2027.
- Louis Armstrong Stadium: 14,000 seats
- Grandstand: 8,000 seats
- Court 17: 2,800 seats, the popular sunken outer show court known as “The Pit”
US Open Court Surface
The US Open tennis tournament is played on a engineered acrylic hard-court surface known as Laykold, which replaced the previous DecoTurf surface in 2020 after more than 40 years. The court colors are unique to the venue and are known as US Open Blue inside the court lines and US Open Green outside of the court areas both introduced in 2005 to improve ball visibility for the players. Fun fact about the US Open, it is the only Grand Slam tournament to have been played on all three court surfaces. The tournament was played on grass until 1974, on clay from 1975 to 1977, and on hard courts since 1978.
US Open Tennis Ball
Wilson has been the official ball of the US Open for more than 40 years, and 2026 is no exception. Every point at Flushing Meadows is played with the Wilson US Open Extra Duty ball, a premium woven-felt ball built specifically for hard courts, where the surface wears balls down faster than grass or clay. Wilson’s partnership with the tournament is one of the longest-running sponsorships in tennis, and the ball’s consistency is part of why players consider it the gold standard on the hard-court swing.
US Open Tennis 2026 Food & Drink Highlights
The Food Village is bigger than ever in 2026, with five restaurants, 70 concession stands, and 78 carts under the tournament’s “Celebrating our New York Story” theme. Popular items returning, and debuting, for 2026 include:
- CQDQ: The popular Golden Nuggets, which can be topped with caviar, return from restaurateur Simon Kim’s Coqodaq team. This vendor also offers the Gangnam Style Chicken Sandwich, a fan favorite since it first launched.
- Salt Hank’s: Making its US Open debut, Salt Hank’s brings its viral French Dip sandwich to Flushing Meadows: thinly shaved dry-aged prime rib, provolone, caramelized onions, and horseradish aioli on a crusty baguette, served with a side of au jus. It’s from West Village chef and best-selling author Henry “Salt Hank” LaPorte, whose NYC restaurant is known for its long lines.
- Carnegie Deli: The New York icon returns with its classic hot pastrami and hot corned beef sandwiches (both on rye), a jumbo hot dog, and the New York favorite giant black & white cookie.
Get Ready for the US Open Tennis 2026
With Alcaraz chasing a title defense on limited match play, Sinner sidelined for the first time in his major career, and a reshuffled field at the top of both draws, the 2026 US Open is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable Grand Slams in years. Two weeks of hard-court tennis kick off August 30th in Flushing Meadows. Stay tuned for our interactive US Open quiz and word search, coming soon!
Hey tennis players, get ready for the US Open by sharpening up your tennis lingo. Check out our article on the 65 Tennis Terms Every Player Should Know so you are ready to talk about all of the tennis action on the courts!
